Packer Draft - what would you have done?

[AmishMafia]

At each of the picks, what would you have done? You can accept or ignore the trades. Be honest and don't let players available later affect the decision you would have made.


1.14 Tremaine Edmunds - would not have traded, this is my favorite player. Amazing physically and great attitude. We have a much bigger need at ILB than safety, so I don't take James they are about the same quality.
2.13 Josh Jackson - shocked we got him this late
3.12 Rasheem Green - probably the best case scenario for the first 3 I could have hoped for. Learned during the draft he had dropped due to knee injury concerns
4.01 WR Hamilton. We definitely went a different route with WRs going tall and fast
4.34 TE Dalton Schultz - a complete TE who can learn while he sits behind Graham

Won't go any further.

As it turns out, I think Gute and company probably did better, but we shall see how that extra 2019 #1 looks next year.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

1 - Derwin James, I think the Packers missed out on a potential All-Pro player there

2 - Josh Jackson

3 - WR Michael Gallup

4a - OT Jamarco Jones

4b - Maurice Hurst, it seems most teams didn't clear him from the heart condition detected at the combine but he might have been worth taking the risk there

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I'm with you on picking Edmunds when he was there for the taking at #14, the kid just turned 20 on may 2nd. He is going to be good. However, I don't mind how the whole first round ended up for the Packers. I don't think some people are seeing just how valuable that first rounder from the Saints could end up being and still is if it ends up being a #32.

Round 2: Jackson is a no brainer in Rd. 2, especially if Edmunds was pick #1

Round 3: I grab WR Michael Gallup.

Round 3: I see S Ronnie Harrison still on the board at #29 and trade pick #101 and #138 to get him.

Round 4: I see DL Maurice Hurst still on the board and have to grab him at #133.

Round 5: I trade both of my late 5th round picks to trade up to select LB Shaquem Griffin.

After that....I still select EQ Brown and a couple of OL.

 

[bigbubbatd]

I have no clue what I would have done but one thing I think should be noted is if you wanted Jackson after taking James or Edmunds you would have traded up to get him. There is no way you would assumed he would slide. If the Packers would have took Edmunds at 14 and Jackson was on the board like he was in the late first early second people would have been screaming to trade up to get him.

So if you go James or Edmunds then Jackson you likely don't have a 3rd. Since you passed on corner early you would have trade up to grab the best one left.

 

[AmishMafia]

I have no clue what I would have done but one thing I think should be noted is if you wanted Jackson after taking James or Edmunds you would have traded up to get him. There is no way you would assumed he would slide. If the Packers would have took Edmunds at 14 and Jackson was on the board like he was in the late first early second people would have been screaming to trade up to get him.

So if you go James or Edmunds then Jackson you likely don't have a 3rd. Since you passed on corner early you would have trade up to grab the best one left.

By nature, I would be conservative and let the draft come to me. I would not have traded up even though I did not expect him to be there in the 2nd. There were 3 or 4 guys I would have also been happy with. Probably Chark, if Jackson wasnt there. Which I would have regretted knowing I could get St. Brown later.

I am fairly certain the draft for the Pack would have unfolded exactly as I posted, if I was in charge.

 

[GleefulGary]

Hindsight is 20/20. Nobody thought Jackson was falling to our 2nd round pick. I doubt we would've assumed he was either. Or maybe a team assumed we weren't going to take another CB and decided not to trade up to get him. We don't know.

 

[GleefulGary]

Not a ton I would've changed.

I love Jaire Alexander, keeping that pick for sure.

Probably skip out on Valdes-Scantling and take Duke Ejiofor instead.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I have no clue what I would have done but one thing I think should be noted is if you wanted Jackson after taking James or Edmunds you would have traded up to get him. There is no way you would assumed he would slide. If the Packers would have took Edmunds at 14 and Jackson was on the board like he was in the late first early second people would have been screaming to trade up to get him.

So if you go James or Edmunds then Jackson you likely don't have a 3rd. Since you passed on corner early you would have trade up to grab the best one left.

Actually, if the Packers had taken Edmunds with #14, JA would have been another CB still on the board and maybe the Vikings take him instead of Hughes, thus Hughes and Jackson are now available in the 2nd round. Along with the other CB's selected in Round 2, I'm not so sure that the Packers had Josh Jackson rated so high that they would have traded up to get him, after all, they didn't. But I do see your point, that may have changed had the Packers need at CB not been somewhat satisfied with the JA pick.

 

[bigbubbatd]

Actually, if the Packers had taken Edmunds with #14, JA would have been another CB still on the board and maybe the Vikings take him instead of Hughes, thus Hughes and Jackson are now available in the 2nd round. Along with the other CB's selected in Round 2, I'm not so sure that the Packers had Josh Jackson rated so high that they would have traded up to get him, after all, they didn't. But I do see your point, that may have changed had the Packers need at CB not been somewhat satisfied with the JA pick.

I know I would have been screaming for the Packers to trade up if Jackson was on the board and we didn't have a chance yet. It is so hard to know the changes that would have happened.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I know I would have been screaming for the Packers to trade up if Jackson was on the board and we didn't have a chance yet. It is so hard to know the changes that would have happened.

I know the feeling, my screams to pick Edmunds seemed to fall on deaf ears, no matter how much I changed the position of the antenna. I mean the Packers didn't hear me screaming for EQ until the damn 6th round! Stupid me, I would have pulled the trigger in Rd's 3-5.

Yes, playing the "what I would have done" is aided by hindsite and a single decision by one team can probably domino the whole draft to take a bit of a different turn and produce a different outcome as a result.

 

[bigbubbatd]

I know the feeling, my screams to pick Edmunds seemed to fall on deaf ears, no matter how much I changed the position of the antenna. I mean the Packers didn't hear me screaming for EQ until the damn 6th round! Stupid me, I would have pulled the trigger in Rd's 3-5.

Yes, playing the "what I would have done" is aided by hindsite and a single decision by one team can probably domino the whole draft to take a bit of a different turn and produce a different outcome as a result.

It is like that in every draft. Random guys fall. It would be interesting to see a study on how guys ymwho drop end up doing in the NFL. I know a lot of the guys I thought we were fools for passing on in the middle late rounds don't end up doing what I thought they would

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

It is like that in every draft. Random guys fall. It would be interesting to see a study on how guys ymwho drop end up doing in the NFL. I know a lot of the guys I thought we were fools for passing on in the middle late rounds don't end up doing what I thought they would

Yup and if you factor in the unknowns; future injuries, coaching, fitting in with a team, one really can't say for certain "that guy should have been our pick", too many unknowns and changing variables. Hell, if Aaron Rodgers had been drafted by say the Cleveland Browns with the 3rd pick, would he be the QB he is today?

 

[Mondio]

I probably would have picked all day 1 starters and all pro's by end of year 1. But I don't want to brag

 

[RicFlairoftheNFL]

I'm with you on picking Edmunds when he was there for the taking at #14, the kid just turned 20 on may 2nd. He is going to be good. However, I don't mind how the whole first round ended up for the Packers. I don't think some people are seeing just how valuable that first rounder from the Saints could end up being and still is if it ends up being a #32.

Round 2: Jackson is a no brainer in Rd. 2, especially if Edmunds was pick #1

Round 3: I grab WR Michael Gallup.

Round 3: I see S Ronnie Harrison still on the board at #29 and trade pick #101 and #138 to get him.

Round 4: I see DL Maurice Hurst still on the board and have to grab him at #133.

Round 5: I trade both of my late 5th round picks to trade up to select LB Shaquem Griffin.

After that....I still select EQ Brown and a couple of OL.

I like your thoughts on Hurst. Saw him play alot the last couple years. We can't have JUST Daniels in the middle. Clark has been hot and cold. Adams didn't play last year, so we don't know what we have with him, Hurst would've made sense.

 

[GreenBaySlacker]

The two dtackles I would have taken at #14 got stolen at #12, and #13.....

As it turns out. The packers got two blue chip cb prospects to join king and Jones...

they got a 1St stashed for next year... this is a motha effn genius move here... because check this out... we resign #12 to a mega guarantee. Stock pile 1St round picks until the qb prospect we love comes along .and then we go get him... simple as that. Save draft capital for 3 years, and get the guy we want to learn under #12 the last few years of his hof career. Instead of Hoping we can snag a heir apparent at #29, on the one year we decide its time to make a move...

The rest of the draft seemed pretty solid. Stbrown is a steal. Got a punter who drops it on the 10 every kick. Got the future LS . Added o and d lineman. Added an edge rusher. And just like I had hoped! 3 wrs, just like we did with rb last year. Fixed it!

 

[RicFlairoftheNFL]

The two dtackles I would have taken at #14 got stolen at #12, and #13.....

As it turns out. The packers got two blue chip cb prospects to join king and Jones...

they got a 1St stashed for next year... this is a motha effn genius move here... because check this out... we resign #12 to a mega guarantee. Stock pile 1St round picks until the qb prospect we love comes along .and then we go get him... simple as that. Save draft capital for 3 years, and get the guy we want to learn under #12 the last few years of his hof career. Instead of Hoping we can snag a heir apparent at #29, on the one year we decide its time to make a move...

The rest of the draft seemed pretty solid. Stbrown is a steal. Got a punter who drops it on the 10 every kick. Got the future LS . Added o and d lineman. Added an edge rusher. And just like I had hoped! 3 wrs, just like we did with rb last year. Fixed it!

So by your logic about Rodgers we have the QB of the future on the roster NOW...because Aaron is 34 and winding down his career probably in the next 3-4 years, at least in Green Bay.

Where is the O-Line help? Bulaga will be on PUP, and Evans probably won't be back, are we going with 3 offensive linemen to protect Aaron now? Far from "fixed it!" imo. HAD Ted been fired before the 2016 draft we don't draft Rollins and Randall, one gone one soon to be gone, and maybe the O-Line is fixed? Or maybe Gute in 2016 would've found better corners, and we could fix the O-Line now?

 

[RRyder]

1: James- The value was good with the trade back I do like Alexander so I'm done lamenting it but imo James was a true blue chipper in this draft class and I don't think you should pass on that when one falls in your lap. (If Brees arm falls off I'll change my tune)

2: Jackson- uhmm yeah... Of course we still take him here.

3: Gallup- Wouldve liked to see him on this roster

4a: Sweat- when people talk about the how light this draft was with pass rushers i get annoyed. No they weren't littered through the rounds but there were edge guys available worthy of the slots. Gute just went a different direction. Sure he goes a little higher here then he actually did but not so far that I'd call it a reach in the middle rounds

4b: Griffin- see above

I'll stop there as I don't have an issue with any of the other spots and it's a little like throwing a darts at a dartboard. A few notes however. I like Madison and think hes a dark horse to replace Evan's sooner rather then later. I wouldve preferred literally any draft and stash lineman in place of Scott but it was it is at this point.

There's obviously a butterfly effect when having these types of conversations but I don't think any of these selections drastically alters any other. Secondary is still shored up early and now has a better playmaker, got a better WR to play opposite Adam's and doubled up with 2 good pass rushing prospects.

Depending on where the Saints pick falls I feel like this draft makes us better both now and in the future

 

[Mondio]

With how much I know of these guys going in, I really can't say I'd change much after seeing who we have. I do like the picks, most of them. I have no problems with Alexander and Jones being 1 and 2. as far as playmakers go and ability, they're as good as any taken in this draft I think and play a premium position. Slightly different strengths as players, but i think they'll push each other and add to each other on the field. None of the pass rushers excited me all that much, not in an OMG we must have him type of way.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I like your thoughts on Hurst. Saw him play alot the last couple years. We can't have JUST Daniels in the middle. Clark has been hot and cold. Adams didn't play last year, so we don't know what we have with him, Hurst would've made sense.

Hurst would have definitely been drafted in the first round if not for the heart condition detected during the combine. Unfortunately it seems a lot of teams didn't clear himmbefore the draft meaning there would have been risk involved in selecting him.

they got a 1St stashed for next year... this is a motha effn genius move here... because check this out... we resign #12 to a mega guarantee. Stock pile 1St round picks until the qb prospect we love comes along .and then we go get him... simple as that. Save draft capital for 3 years, and get the guy we want to learn under #12 the last few years of his hof career. Instead of Hoping we can snag a heir apparent at #29, on the one year we decide its time to make a move...

The Packers should use the first round pick they acquired from the Saints to improve their chances of winning a Super Bowl next season. With Rodgers still being in his prime there's no reason to stockpile picks to draft his successor down the road.

So by your logic about Rodgers we have the QB of the future on the roster NOW...because Aaron is 34 and winding down his career probably in the next 3-4 years, at least in Green Bay.

Where is the O-Line help? Bulaga will be on PUP, and Evans probably won't be back, are we going with 3 offensive linemen to protect Aaron now? Far from "fixed it!" imo. HAD Ted been fired before the 2016 draft we don't draft Rollins and Randall, one gone one soon to be gone, and maybe the O-Line is fixed? Or maybe Gute in 2016 would've found better corners, and we could fix the O-Line now?

Rodgers has repeatedly mentioned that he wants to play into his 40s, therefore there is no reason to think about his successor at this point.

The offensive line is set on the left side with Bakhtiari, Taylor and Linsley. I agree the team might be in need of improvement on the right one though.

 

[AmishMafia]

4b - Maurice Hurst, it seems most teams didn't clear him from the heart condition detected at the combine but he might have been worth taking the risk there

Clearly there is medical risk here that most teams deemed to much. Not sure what to think. Hate for a kid to die on the field. I would have an in-depth talk directly with doctors on this one. Hope the raiders just aren't not concerned.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Clearly there is medical risk here that most teams deemed to much. Not sure what to think. Hate for a kid to die on the field. I would have an in-depth talk directly with doctors on this one. Hope the raiders just aren't not concerned.

I definitely want a cardiologist to clear Hurst before allowing him to continue playing football. The Raiders might have gotten the steal of the draft if that ever happens.

 

[RepStar15]

The only change I would have made would be to not move up for Jaire Alexander. IMO he would have been there at #27 and we could have kept that third round pick and #1 in the fourth round. With that #1 fourth round selection we could have added Ian Thomas to the draft class.

 

[PikeBadger]

I’m not in the least bit qualified to assess and make alternative recommendations.

Liked: more team speed added, the additional 1st round pick in 19, a DB with really good ball skills, chance at acquiring a potentially elite punter. Also liked the mention from Gutekunst that they stayed true to their board

Would’ve liked: another quick defensive lineman, a good tight end prospect.

They hit just about everything I was looking for. We’ll know in 3 years how good they did overall.

 

[Fat Dogs]

I have 0 complaints about the way the draft panned out but like most of you, I Was furious when we passed on James & Edmunds.
1) James- my dream scenario was him falling.
2) Josh Jackson- wouldn’t even give it a second thought.
3) Arden Key- would have thought about Orlando Brown but Keys upside was worth the gamble.
4) Tyrell Crosby- loved him in the 4th.
I know we went WR late but that’s not why I ignored the position. I was comfortable with Geronimo/Clark/possibly Dez and felt like we had more pressing needs.

 

[McKnowledge]

Original Picks (Pre-Draft)
https://www.packersnews.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/2018/04/12/nfl-draft-basics/33789991/

Rd.1 P.14: DB-Derwin James (c'mon)

Rd2. P.45: DB-Josh Jackson (great value)

Rd.3 P.76: S-Rodney Harrison (solidify the secondary, Cover 3 w/ Derwin James and Ha Ha)

Rd.4 P.101: DE-Da'Shawn Hand (good value and could progress behind Matthews and Perry)

Rd.4 P.133*: WR-J'Mon Moore (good value, no change)(*compensatory)

Rd.5 P.138: OT-Tyrell Crosby (very good @ Oregon, will be good in NFL)
https://www.nfl.com/prospects/tyrell-crosby?id=32462018-0002-5598-36fb-6806d79bf655

Rd.5 P.172*: P-JK Scott (no change)(compensatory)

Rd.5 P.174*: WR-Deon Cain (steal!!!)
https://www.nfl.com/prospects/deon-cain?id=32462018-0002-5601-476e-1c21b13a4045

Rd.6 P.186: WR-Equanimeous St. Brown (no change)

Rd.6 P.207: LB-Jack Cichy (fan favorite)
https://www.nfl.com/prospects/jack-cichy?id=32462018-0002-5601-5463-08cf6a6a2b2a

Rd.7 P.232: LB-Andre Smith (run thumper)
https://www.nfl.com/prospects/andre-smith?id=32462018-0002-5601-93c1-4a43fed05205

Rd.7 p.239: LB-Kendall Donnerson (risk vs reward)